Born Bad

   Sitting here this morning wondering why people are the way they are.  I will never believe that people are born to be "bad"... But how do they get that way? I can totally understand how they became selfish and petty-society is a great teacher for that! When I married the BEAST, and even before; it became very apparent that we were raised very differently. There are things that are okay to him that would be a total embarrassment to my family. But, my parents are close to and in their 60's, and both work multiple jobs to make a living. That's the example that I grew up with.  I am not saying that the BEAST's family didn't work, they did; and they do. But the ethic is not the same. My parent's lives revolved around work; either at their jobs or at home. If my dad had a day off work we were out working cattle, dehorning, castrating, or sorting, cleaning pens and lots, working horses, cleaning stalls, unloading hay...et cetera.  To other people a day off is just that-a day off. To my parents it was a day to get the things done that they couldn't get done during their work week. That being said; I think of myself as a "good" person...I obey the laws, I worked a full-time job(sometimes 2) before we moved out of state, and I provided for my children when I had no help whatsoever. I have to thank my parents for the fortitude to be able to do that! But back to the growing up "bad"....Did these people, as kids, have too much time on their hands? Too much time to think about ways to make people's lives miserable? I just don't understand. I never had the time, between school and chores, to think of ways to hurt others. Maybe we would all be better served if everyone lived and learned on a farm or ranch?

Being Thankful

     This last week was a doozey....the NP child got a bad grade on her report card, THAT child was sick, we had a 2-day rodeo that lasted until midnight on Friday and Saturday...It just seemed like nothing would go right....Such is the life of a mama; right? This week coming up is going to be just as bad...The NP child has a pageant on Thursday evening, THAT child has preschool graduation Thursday afternoon; and we have a 2 day rodeo that is 2 hours away on Friday and Saturday...That will be an over-nighter. I think that I had less work and stress in my life when I actually worked outside our home! 
     Now today I am waiting for the banks to update; so that I can work on our weekly budget, and have some idea of what we have to spend!  I feel like I'm always either rushing somewhere, or waiting on someone...But that's my life! There are times when I have to make myself slow down and take a breath. I love my children, I love my family....Sometimes I just have to make time to let God in, and let Him show me the way. When things get overwhelming; I have to just throw my hands up and pray. I am guilty of not doing this enough. I need to take the time out and make Him a priority.  So many things in my life are great. I have good health; my family is healthy. We make enough money to make do. We have safe, dependable vehicles. We have an expensive hobby that we are fortunate enough to be able to participate in. We have what we need, and I am thankful!

A little give and take

     Well, the one bad thing about rodeos is the fact that when it gets warm out, they are in the evenings; and we get home about 1 AM. The good thing is that the producers recognize this, so they have them on Friday and Saturday nights, instead of Saturday and Sunday. A little compromise, give and take, if you will....Goes a long way in this world! I am so happy for the sport of rodeo, and horse shows. Because, even though it is a thankless, expensive, time consuming sport; it is teaching my daughter the value of her hard work, and the amount of effort she has to put into something to be successful at it. She doesn't have the fastest horse out there, but he is consistent. She's sitting top 10 in pole bending standings because of that consistency, no other reason. 
     A little bit of give and take would serve us well in our lives today. If, instead of regaling people with our opinions, we could just let some things go, we would be better off! If we could just forget our stereotypical beliefs, we would be more willing to help the needy. If we could let go of all the stigma associated with veterans, maybe more of them would get the help they needed, and the jobs that could keep them from being homeless. Did you know that 17% of the United States' homeless population is made up of veterans? That is disturbing on so many levels! These people were shipped off to fight for our country, for our freedom....And we are allowing 17% of them to remain homeless...I'm not saying that we need to hire someone who's dangerous, or put our business at risk; but instead of looking at veterans as too "damaged" to work, or as someone who won't take orders well, give them a shot! The options are numerous...Some of these people could be helped a lot by compromise. I'm not saying that they wouldn't have to be monitored closely, and probably not left to work alone, but given what the veterans, at least, sacrificed for us; isn't it worth it?

Strength and Control

     Some days... Being a mommy is tough. There are fundraisers, functions, pageants, concerts, games, rodeos, appointments...LIFE. When it gets overwhelming it becomes frustrating. The house is messy, the car is a disaster, the dog needs a bath, the BABY got into the NP child's markers, THAT child was playing in a puddle... And people say that this is the most rewarding job there is...And it is, there's no doubt about that. But it's okay to get frustrated. It's okay to cry. It's okay to want to throw in the towel at times. I think that I work a harder, more stressful job now than when I worked outside the home. Some days I just want to pull the plug and say I'm done, but then I get kisses from the BABY, or a hug from THAT child, and it all seems okay.
     I gain strength from attending church and bible study on a weekly basis. My kids love it; and it gives me the motivation to make it through the week. There is nothing that I can't do with Jesus in my corner. When the world feels like it's closing in and there is nothing that will go right, I turn to God. Sometimes you just need to let go and let Him take control.

Satisfied with Enough

     Wow, What a super-busy month it has been! I haven't even looked at this page in over a month...We recently started the AFR rodeo series with the NP child; and it has been hectic and expensive, to say the least! At least she is having fun, cultivating friendships, and all around just learning to be a good person. THAT child has had to come with us to a lot of rodeos, even an over-nighter; because the BEAST's work schedule didn't work out for him to stay home. He has grown up so much in the last year...I was cooking him eggs this morning(he had a tummy bug last night, and had to stay home from school today) and when I handed him his plate of scrambled eggs, he actually said "thank you"... It made me so happy! 
     The inspiration for this post today actually stems from a conversation I had with a friend. It had to do with options and what is available to us. I am trying to teach my children not to judge people by the choices they make-we don't know what options they have available to them at any given time. We don't know what the circumstances of their life are. Maybe they had no introduction to Jesus. No exposure to someone who can show them right from wrong. Never read a bible. Maybe they can't even read at all.  We as a society have become very judgmental, very entitled. What happened to the people who used to work from sunup to sundown for what they had? What happened to the people who were satisfied with having enough, instead of having more?  It is a fact that this life is temporary, and you can't take your possessions with you when it's your time to make the great journey.  I truly hope that I have spent enough time on the things that are important, and less time on the things that are temporary. Little things like THAT child saying thank you, the BABY's first steps and words, the NP child laying down a clean run, and phone calls from the GAMER are all treasures. Material things don't matter! My family has safe, dependable vehicles that get us from point A to point B; and they are paid for. We have a home that keeps us warm and protected, but it's not new, and it's not fancy. I go to the laundromat weekly to wash clothes. And that's enough.